Posted on April 1, 2024

An Amazing World Below / Ecotopia

9:15 AM: An Amazing World Below

There are more living things in one teaspoon of soil than there are people on the planet. How does this impact us humans? An in-person all-ages service led by Affiliated Minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke with Transitional Music Director Emily Hall. Reflection by Randy Ruchotzke.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

1. Do you (or have you ever) garden? How connected do you feel to the soil, and all of the life that is a part of it?
2. What are ways that we can widen our understanding of the interconnected web of life in a way that includes all of the life we cannot see?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Ecotopia

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Heidi Shaffer Bish with Worship Associate Randy Bish.

What can an offbeat novel written in 1975 offer us today? In the face of apathy, denial, apocalyptic or dystopian thought, can we vision our own ecotopian societies and live into them? Join worship leader Heidi Shaffer Bish and worship associate Randy Bish in an exploration of ecology, culture and the interdependent web.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

“We Need One Another” / “Engage!”: Embracing the Liberating Religion

9:15 AM: “We Need One Another”

An in-person all-ages service led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe, Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, and Affiliated Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke.

We are the faith where everyone is loved because we make promises (covenants) to love and care for one another. How might we live into those promises?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• How do you relate to the difference between punitive and restorative practices of reconciliation?
• How do you think covenant helps guide the relationship and connection between you and members of the congregation and community?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: “Engage!”: Embracing the Liberating Religion

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Rev. Sunshine Wolfe and Worship Associate Lori McGee.

As religious communities, we are called to meet the spiritual needs of the people in our communities and those who will find and continue our sacred promise. We will explore the interdependent nature of our religious communities within and beyond our walls. How do we set the direction of our liberating religious communities so that when it is time to engage, we know everyone has played a meaningful and spiritually grounded role in what comes next. We will engage with themes of interdependence, restorative justice, collaborative ministry, and collective liberation. Come join us in the troublemaking!

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Celebration of Life

A memorial service to celebrate the life of Mary Maske will be held in the sanctuary on Friday, April 5, 2024 at 12:00 pm with a reception to follow in Hobbs Hall.  

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Threading the Web of Interconnection / Love at the Center

9:15 AM: Threading the Web of Interconnection

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, Transitional Music Director Emily Hall and Affiliated Minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke. The reflection will be offered by Mary Ann Kasper.

What does our interdependence look like in practice? How might we care for the earth as well as one another?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• The motto “Reduce-Reuse-Recycle” is often just associated with “recycle.” What are some practices where you reduce the amount of trash you produce, or reuse things that other people might throw out?
• What are some things you do in your own life that care for both the planet and for other people?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Love at the Center

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by affiliated minister Rev. Renee Ruchotzke, Worship Associate Randy Bish, and Transitional Music Director Emily Hall.

Christian Nationalism is on the rise and the upcoming election will provide a stark choice about what kind of world we want to live in. We will explore how the national UU conversation about updating our seven principles is a conversation about our core values of inclusion and interdependence and how they can help us model a compelling alternative.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Rise in Love: Easter Sunday / Things I Didn’t Learn in Sunday School

9:15 AM: Rise in Love: Easter Sunday

An in-person all-ages service led by Affiliated Community Minister Renée Ruchotzke, Director of Religious Exploration Colleen Thoele, Transitional Music Director Emily Hall, and Worship Associate David Weaver.

The story of Easter is a story of resistance to power and oppression, grounded in the love that surpasses all. How has the story of Jesus been changed over the millennia? Reflection dialogue between David Weaver and Rev. Renée Ruchotzke.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• What was your understanding of the Easter story growing up? What parts (if any) still resonate with you?
• Our Universalist heritage is grounded in the redeeming power of God’s love for the world, with no exceptions. What are ways the Universalist part of our faith shows up in your personal beliefs?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Things I Didn’t Learn in Sunday School

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by CLM Lori Mirkin-McGee and Affiliated Community Minister Rev. Christie Anderson.

For Christians around the world, Easter is the most holy time of the year. It is both solemn–the crucifixion and death of Jesus–and joyous–the resurrection of Christ as the saviour of humankind. But who was Jesus, really? How did his socio-political environment influence his actions? What would have happened had he not died on the cross? Please join us as we explore the life, and death, of Jesus of Nazareth.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Each a Beloved Part / Who Are We Now?

9:15 AM: Each a Beloved Part

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele and Affiliated Community Minister Renée Ruchotzke.

In these times of struggle, we journey together seeking refuge, hope and safety within our communities.  This morning we will turn to the transforming power of community care to guide us. Reflection by guest minister Rev. Dr. Elaine Strawn.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• Did you have a community of support beyond your family when you were younger? Share a story of how you helped one another.
• What support communities do you have now? What kind of communities do you yearn for?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Who Are We Now?

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Rev. Dr. Elaine Strawn and Worship Associate CLM Kathy Kerns.

There is a lovely children’s book in which a young girl flees her mirror image because it misses so much of her true persona. Congregations can be like that, too.  Sometimes we have a much bigger (or smaller) version of ourselves and we flee the image.  But our quest is to join together, moving forward into a deep and abiding vision.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

The Alchemy of Ancestors / Not The Saint You’re Thinking Of Today

9:15 AM: The Alchemy of Ancestors

We are part of the Web of Life along with those that came before us. This morning we will spend time illuminating and honoring our connections to the ancestors. 

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, Transitional Music Director Emily Hall, and Affiliated Community Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke with a reflection by Kevyn Breedon.

10:00 – 10:45 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• What is a gift that you have received from your ancestors? How has it shaped the person that you are today?
• Think of yourself as an ancestor of the next seven generations. (This doesn’t necessarily have to be of people you are actually related to, but could be those that you might influence.) What is a gift that you might be remembered for?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Not The Saint You’re Thinking Of Today

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Elaine Bowen and Worship Associate Heidi Sumser.

The calendar tells us March 17 is St. Patrick’s Day but you may not know that it is also the feast day of Catholic saint, Gertrude of Nivelles. She is the unofficial cat lady and patron saint of cats (and mice / rats plus a few other things). Hers is a medieval tale of a young Benedictine nun in Belgium in the 600s C.E. who founded an abbey and found new found fame in 1982. You will be surprised to learn how. We’ll explore Gertrude’s life as a holy feminist and her relationship to the interconnected web of all existence of which we are all apart.

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CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

A Story in My Soul / Self-Compassion

9:15 AM: A Story In My Soul

An in-person all-ages service led by Transitional Music Director Emily Hall, and Affiliated Community Minister Renée Ruchotzke.

Phillip Pullman says, “After nourishment, shelter and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”  Telling our stories can be a powerful and transforming journey. They can also move through us to inspire others. Will you tell your story? Reflection by: Amanda Rome

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• Think of the stories that were a part of your childhood. What is one of the stories that still stays with you and why?
• Think of a story that you find inspirational. How has it transformed you?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards are available for purchase every 2nd and 4th Sunday each month. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Self-Compassion

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by David Weaver and Worship Associate Randy Bish.

Rev. Sean Parker Dennison encourages us to consider how transformation starts from within: “If you want to change the world, first, be sure you are changing yourself. Be tender. Be kind. Be at peace. Be all the things you wish for…”  

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

A Song in My Heart / Voices that Transform

(Also this morning: Spaghetti Fundraiser by UUYJ and Town Hall Meeting)

9:15 AM: A Song in My Heart

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Exploration Colleen Thoele. Transitional Music Director Emily Hall, and Affiliated Community Minister Renée Ruchotzke with a reflection by Mike Hovancsek.

Music holds the power to soothe, uplift and transform us. Our grief, celebrations, and rest often include a soundtrack. How has music transformed you?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• What kind of music do you like to dance/move to? How does it make you feel when you dance/move?
• Imagine there is a bio-pic (movie) about your life and how you have grown and changed. What would be the theme song during the opening credits? The closing credits? How might they reveal a story of transformation?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

11:00 AM: Voices that Transform

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Transitional Music Director Emily Hall and Commissioned Lay Minister Kathy Kerns.

Music is a powerful source of spiritual transformation.  It can connect us to each other, help us to understand and appreciate what can sometimes feel hard to grasp in words alone, and be a source of inspiration to us as we try to bring about beloved community.  This service explores this theme through singing hymns and learning the story behind the song.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

11:00 AM – 1:30 PM – UUYJ Spaghetti Dinner Fundraiser – Hobbs Hall

Want to support our youth on their social justice journey? Come to our Spaghetti dinner! (“to go” meals also available)
The dinner is by donation, with 100% of proceeds going to support the youth traveling to South Dakota to learn from and work with the Ogala Lakota Nation at the Pine Ridge Reservation!

12:00 PM – Town Hall with the UUCK Board of Trustees

Starts after the 11:00 AM Service. Learn more about the Town Hall.

Justice Unfinished / Stories from the Shadows

9:15 AM: Justice Unfinished

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Education Colleen Thoele, Affiliated Community Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke, Music Director Emily Hall. Reflection by Ellen McWilliams-Woods.

The work of dismantling racism and oppression is everyone’s to do. How can we work together for a better world when the systems in place are broken? How do we build a better way?

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• What personal or societal injustice has shaped your life?
• When the enormity of injustice looms, what enables you to hold on to hope?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards will be available for purchase. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Stories from the Shadows

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Affiliated Community Minister Rev. Christie Anderson with Worship Associate Heidi Shaffer Bish.

On the fringe of Kent’s vibrant, bustling city, exists a population of chronically unhoused individuals who have been homeless for most of their adult lives. Frequently dismissed due to uninformed stereotyping, these folks have needs… but they might not be what we traditionally assume. Let us peer into the shadows to reveal a hidden world inhabited by fellow community members.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Seeds of Justice / The Legacy of Howard Thurman

9:15 AM: Seeds of Justice

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Exploration Colleen Thoele and Affiliated Community Minister Renée Ruchotzke with a reflection by Benny Hovancsek.

Chief Seattle of the Duwamish tribe said, “We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors. We borrow it from our children.”. This morning we will center justice for our beloved Earth and all of her children.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

Guiding Quote: “Knowing that you love the earth changes you, activates you to defend and protect and celebrate. But when you feel that the earth loves you in return, that feeling transforms the relationship from a one-way street into a sacred bond.” ― Robin Wall Kimmerer, Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants

• Have you ever had a special spot somewhere in nature? Briefly describe it. What feelings did/do you have when you spend time there?
• What if ― you knew in your bones ― that nature loved you back. What would be different?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards will be available for purchase. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: The Legacy of Howard Thurman

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) guest led by CLM Deb Kotte (UU Congregation of Greater Canton), Worship Associate Lori Mirkin-McGee, and Musician Brad Bolton.

Rev. Dr. Howard Thurman (1899-1981) is known as a theologian and mystic, an educator and an author, a spiritual advisor and mentor. He has also been referred to as the godfather of the civil rights movement. The power of his faith and the bonds of his community supported his life and ministry. Let us celebrate the life and legacy of a man whose philosophy and teachings continue to inspire and inform, with their timeless wisdom and relevance. Photo: Dr. Howard Thurman / © 2005 Boston University Photography (used with permission)

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

9:15 AM: Be Kind To Yourself

An in-person all-ages service led by Director of Religious Exploration Colleen Thoele, Affiliated Community Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke, and Transitional Music Director Emily Hall.

Before we can have Peace in the world, we must have Peace in our hearts. How might our kindness start with ourselves? Reflection by Kyotē Youst.

10:00 AM Lifespan Religious Exploration

Religious exploration for our children and youth in classrooms.

Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• How might you unplug for an entire day? How might you reimagine unplugging to small moments during your day?
• How might we create individual and collective rituals of rest and healing for ourselves and our communities?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café

Our social hour in Hobbs Hall is open to all. Connect with others, learn about the church, find out about programs and other opportunities to connect.

Acme, Giant Eagle, and Meijer grocery gift cards will be available for purchase. Learn more about this fundraiser.

11:00 AM: Rest as Resistance to “Grind Culture”

A multi-platform service (both in-person and on Zoom) led by Affiliated Community Minister Rev. Renée Ruchotzke, Worship Associate David Weaver, and Transitional Music Director Emily Hall.

Why are so many of us soooo tired?  We’ll explore how Tricia Hersey, founder of The Nap Ministry, invites us to examine how “grind culture” steals our life energy, and explore ways to take back our birthright of dreamtime.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

For those joining via Zoom, our meeting room opens 15 minutes prior to the start of the service (at 10:45 AM) for weekly announcements. We request that everyone joining the service please display your first and last name.  Thank you!

On February 4, we return to two services offered at 9:15 AM and 11:00 AM in the Sanctuary. Additionally, all-ages religious exploration opportunities will be offered at 10:00 AM. Our Children and Youth will participate in their RE classes while facilitated discussions in small groups will be offered for adults in Hobbs Hall. Social hour will also be available from 10:00 -11:15 AM in Hobbs Hll. Click here to learn more about our “new” Sunday morning format.

Our services and schedule for this Sunday are below:

9:15 AM Do Unto Others. . .
An in-person all-ages service led by DRE Colleen Thoele.
Some are taught as children to treat others the way we’d like to be treated ourselves. What would it look like if we treated others the way that they wanted to be treated? Reflection by Josephine Brannan

10:00 AM Lifespan Learning Opportunity
Religious Education for our children and youth
Facilitated small reflection groups for adults in Hobbs Hall using our wondering questions:

• Think of a time when someone treated you in a way that was good for them, but not for you. How did it feel? How did you respond? How might you have responded differently?
• Think of another time when you treated someone else in a way that was good for you, but not for them. How might you act differently in the future?

10:00 – 11:15 AM Community Café (social hour) in Hobbs Hall open to all

11:00 AM Joy and Woe are Woven Fine
A multi-platform service, offered both in-person and on Zoom, led by CLM Lori Mirkin-McGee and Worship Associate Randy Bish.
“Rarely, if ever, are any of us healed in isolation. Healing is an act of communion.” –bell hooks

Sunday, January 28, 2024 at 10 AM.

Led by CLM Kathy Kerns.

“This special service brings a sermon and other worship elements from our Unitarian Universalist Association staff. It asks the question, what seeds are you planting for the new year?  How are you weaving your magic into your relationships with others? How can we center beauty and goodness and love in all that’s ahead?” ~Rev. Dr. Sofía Betancourt ,President, UUA

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.

January 21, 2023 at 10 AM.

A multi-platform service led by Rev. Steven Protzman.

As Rev. Steven prepares to be away for sick leave, we will have a conversation about continuing to be the community we are- a people of care, support, kindness, and inclusiveness- and we will reflect on this mystery that is life, the unexpected things that can happen, and the importance of a spiritual life that invites us to lean into the Love that holds us and will not let us go, no matter what.

CLICK HERE to view, download, or print the Order of Service.